Tag Archives: students

College life is all about freedom, excitement and meeting new people. Many people consider college to be the time of your life. What many students fail to realize, however, is that health is a major part of your college experience.

Think about it: if you were to get sick and miss a portion of your semester, you’d be missing out on a lot. You’d miss class, time with friends and opportunities to stay involved in campus groups. You don’t have to think about a serious illness for this same scenario to play out. If you aren’t paying attention to your mental and physical health, you’re missing out on things. You may have low energy, get colds often or feel extremely stressed. These factors keep you from fully enjoying the college experience.

So, college students can’t forget to prioritize their health. Maintaining your mental and physical health not only helps you have the best experience possible — it also creates lifelong habits. If you want to feel young and vibrant for years to come, you have to think about your health now. Making healthy decisions now sets the path for healthy decisions as you age!

Eating healthy at college is not an easy task! There are temptations at every corner for the average college student. How do you keep the pizza, mixed drinks and fast food runs from damaging your health for the next four years?

We’ll take you on a short trip through the life of a college student trying to navigate school and stay healthy at the same time. Check our list of the five danger zones for college nutrition and the ways you can stay healthy in the face of each temptation.

Life in college can be overwhelming. One year at school is full of classes, parties, meetings, group projects, exams and all kinds of new experiences. Basically, your time at school is packed full of plans and events.

Busy schedules can get us in trouble. Specifically, busy lifestyles can harm our health and fitness. If you don’t manage the added stress, you might notice some changes in your health. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prep for your next school year.

We normally think that vaccines are for kids. This is true; Kids must go in for immunizations regularly. However, there are important vaccines for people of all ages.

College students, you are no exception! As you age, your immunity to certan diseases wears off. You also are at risk for different diseases.

When you’re thinking about preventing diseases with vaccines, you should also be thinking about your current health. How is your thyroid functioning? Do you have any undetected STDs? Are you allergic to anything? Now is the time to check.

New college. New friends. New freedoms. New dorm. New foods. Moving away from home is a fun an exciting time, but it’s easy to fall into unhealthy eating habits. Be ready for all the temptations that will come your way, with one of them being at the dining halls. By stocking healthy foods in your dorm room and making good choices at dining halls, you’ll be able to keep off the freshman 15 and feel your best all year.

Eat a Good Breakfast

Dining halls will have anything from pancakes to bacon to donuts to waffles. Stay away! Keep small packages of granola and mini milk cartons in your room for a quick but healthy breakfast. If you do want to leave your room for breakfast, choose the omelet bar and add extra veggies or a whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese. It’s easy to oversleep and want to skip it, but that first meal is your fuel to start the day and will keep your metabolism going.

Stock Your Mini Fridge

Keep fresh fruits and vegetables in your mini fridge instead of ready-made meals. Wheat crackers and hummus is a good alternative to chips and dip, and yogurt makes for a healthy afternoon snack. Avoid filling your fridge with overly-processed foods and ice cream.

Avoid Dining Hall Traps

If you can name it, the nearest dining hall will probably have it. A good rule of thumb is to not grab more than you can carry with two hands. One well-portioned plate and a glass of water is usually plenty to eat! Salad bars are typically a good choice, but go easy on the croutons, shredded cheese and dressing. While the ice cream and cookies may seem like a good idea at the time, eating just 100 extra calories per day can pack on 10 pounds per year!

Healthy eating and regular exercise is the best way to stay healthy and keep off the freshman 15. It’s easy to lose track of what you’re eating throughout the day, so keep a food diary if necessary. There are plenty of healthy options to keep in your dorm room or eat at the dining hall—you just have to find them!

As you start school and focus on your health, listen to your body and check on any health concerns. ARCpoint Labs offers wellness screenings to help you learn about your health and start developing habits for the rest of your time at school.

It’s pretty widespread knowledge that Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) quickly travel around the teenage community. It’s even been said that ONE IN FOUR teenagers have an STD. And it makes sense. Teenagers who become sexually active at a younger age are more susceptible. Plus, lack of understanding of safe sex practices can also contribute to the occurrence of STDs in teens. Although teens are known for their susceptibility, a lesser known and recognized problem is that college students, even those at KU, are at risk, too. The STDs traveling around college campuses are a growing concern that can have detrimental effects on students and their families in the long run if untreated.

Teens aren't the only ones who get STDs. If you're in college, make sure to practice safe sex, too.

How do you Get an STD?

One of the easiest ways to get an STD is to sleep with someone who has an STD. A disease can be transmitted by any anal, oral and/or genital contact. While it’s very difficult to stop the transfer of some STDs, generally latex condoms work the best. Only condoms are said to prevent the spread of an STD, even other birth control methods won’t work when it comes to sexual diseases. And sometimes, condoms won’t even work.

Why Treat an STD

Some of the symptoms of an STD are undetectable, but others make it painfully apparent that you’ve been infected. Numbness, burning, rashes and discharge are just a few of the symptoms. Even if you’re not experiencing pain, it’s critical that you get tested for an STD if you recognize any symptoms, or a sexual partner notifies you that they have one. If your test turns out positive, there are treatment options for you.

The reasons to treat an STD start out as the same to treat nearly any medical condition – feel better, relieve any pain, remove any unwanted embarrassing areas. However, treating STDs is imperative because it can cause detriments to your future fertility if you don’t have it checked and treated.

STDs impact Fertility

College students MUST realize that they are susceptible to STDs just like teens. If you’re sexually active, and especially if you’ve been active since your early teens and have had multiple sexual partners, you are at risk for an STD.

While a marriage and kids may not be on your radar in the next few years, it’s actually not as far off as it may seem. Acquiring an STD doesn’t only effect your current health – but it will impact your future spouse and even your chance at having children. Left untreated, an STD can result in infertility and years of heartbreak at the loss of biological children.

It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to STDs. Some can be easily treated with antibiotics if caught early. If you’ve had multiple sexual partners or suspect you could carrying an STD (or have received one recently), don’t wait. Get checked today.